Grano a mano

When the future seems grim and it feels like too many tipping points have been reached and left behind that’s the time you realize that Castelvecchio is the place you want to be. There is a clean water supply from the old Roman Fountains and today we saw people that still know how to harvest wheat by hand. Remember this for when the gas runs out.

We heard their was going to be a pasta making contest at 9 a.m. at the pizza place. We took our painting equipment just in case the rumors were unfounded, but instead it turned out it was a harvesting by hand competition. The field had been marked off in equally wide stops of about six feet and 25 feet long. There was room for ten teams. When we first arrived their were two old guys harvesting grain for about six camera people all with big lenses. Since the event was sponsored by Old Holland tractors maybe one of our guys will become an ad. I guess New Holland is not worried about the competition from a few people harvesting by hand.

There were only three teams. A husband and wife assisted by the father of one of them and possibly a grandson. There was the old guy team and a team made up of teenagers with an experienced wheat baler behind them. It was a neck and neck race. Sickles were flashing in the sun and hands with fingers covered by pieces of bamboo rose up and down. Behind came the bailers. they would grab a handful of grain and twist it into a knot. Next the wheat was laid down on top of the knot with all the seed heads facing in the same direction. Then the ends of the knotted piece were wrapped around and tied making a sheaf of wheat. These sheaves followed the harvesters down the row.

 If you thought a wand in your back pocket was dangerous then look at this. The scythes are super sharp and had been sharpened with dry stones only moments before. They are worn from a metal hook attached to your belt. 

 The man in the white shirt has his arm around his friend. You can see the bamboo finger protectors on his left hand.

Mint grows in with the wheat making every swing of the sickle followed by the sweat scent of mint. The smell of Italy one woman told me. When everyone had reached the top of the row, they worked going up hill so they did not have to bend over so far, the reapers went back and gathered anything they had missed leaving a wheat free zone. Nothing was wasted. These bits were added to the sheaves which were piled together: one for each row. Finally the judging. each team had a long list of criteria by which they were judged. Although they were announced I am just guessing as to what they were.
1. speed
2. cleanness of the field
3. quality of the bundles

And the winners were: the husband and wife team. Second was the old guys and third were the youngsters, although I suspect that each team won in some category of the judging.

A woman told me what the traditional field lunch was: bread with a sauce made of fresh tomatoes and thyme, a frattato of zucchini, onions and eggs, and wine mixed with water and lemon so no one would cut off their fingers. This food was prepared by the young people of Castelvecchio including our neighbor’s daughter. It was so delicious: field food. We had our lunch there. After all it is hard work taking 75 pictures while competing with at least ten other photographs all with longer lenses.

The minute Jim sat down by a bale of straw people rushed to take his picture. Me included.

Our inestimable neighbors and a guy that had a sharp scythe and insisted on being in the photo.


As if that wasn’t enough excitement for a day: we got mail! Thanks to Gregor and Josefin for the card from Venice.

AND there might be something else tonight in the piazza at 5pm having to do with the grain event. What really amazes me is that the students are here from America, but they weren’t there and neither were any of the tourists from Denmark. Jim and I were the only ones who stumbled on to this event. In fairness it was not well advertised and the date was changed due to the lateness of the harvest, but it was like being in a Brugel painting except for the cameras with giant lenses.